Means for producing aerial gymnastic performances.



No. 847,139. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

J. J. WILLIAMS. MEANS FOR PRODUCING AERIAL GYMNASTIG PERFORMANCES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 10,1906. 1 I

UNITED sr rrns JOSEPH JOHN .WlLlJl'AMS,

PATENT oF IoE.

or JACKSON. aussissirrl.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Apolicntiou filed November 10,1906. semi N". 342.830.

To all whom, it TIMI/l] concern,-

Be it known that I, Josnrn JOHN WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Jackson, in the county of Hinds and State ofMississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meansfor Producing Aerial Gymnastic Performances, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to means for producing aerial gymnasticperformances, the apparatus of which may be raised from a stage or theground well above the same or near the top-of a tent or any suitableplace, together with the performers of the act, and which is adapted forthe suspension at points removed from each other of depending de vicesto which the performers attach and suspend themselves while beingcarried through the act by the apparatus.

The object of my invention is to provide Ineans by which the performersmay be suspended in midair at distances apart and sub stantially in thesame horizontal plane and be bodily revolved about asubstantial verticalaxis and'in such a manner that they may have the appearance of flying ina circle through the air and at considerable distance above the audienceviewing them-as, for instance, a distance above a theatrical stage or inthe upper part of a circus-tent or open air.

A further object of my invention is to provide means by which two ormore performers may be suspended in mid-air at predetermined distancesapart and against the possi- 'bility of their bodies coming in contactwith each other and in such a manner that when revolved about a verticalaxis their bodies, through centrifugal. force, will assume inclinedpositions and by means enabling them to, by bodily force, during theirsuspension rotate their bodies on an axis therethrough while beingcarried around in a circle.

A further object of my invention is to provide means by whichtwo or moreperformers may suspend themselves in mid-air at predetermined distancesapart and by the neck, and especially by the mouth, in substantially thesame horlzontalplane by means of twisted fibrous ropes, which may betightly twisted by a rotary movement of the bodies of the performers ontheir own axes and which by their own torsion while the performers aresus e pended therefrom will actuate the bodies of the performers in theopposite direction and operate to accelerate their revolutions.

A still further object of my invention is to provide 11 cans by whichtwo or more per formers. may be suspended in mid-air, as last l abovesta ed, and by means and in such manl nor that they may be revolved in ahorizontal plane ibout a vertical axis at a point midway between that oftheir point of suspension and in such manner that during the ro- Itat-ion or twisting of their individual bodies they will by centrifugalforce be extended on lines oppositely diverging downwardly from eachother.

\Yithihese ends in view my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the conparts by which the said objects and certain otherobjects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described withreference to the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the said drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatusembodying my invention with the performers suspended in theiroperativepositiontherefrom. .Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatuson a reduced scale, and Fig. 3 anv enlarged view of the swivel by whichapparatus is connected with and suspended from a cable or rope passingover pulleys above a stage or in the upper part of a tent or high polein open air.

As shown in the drawings, 4 indicates a bar, which may be round orangular form in cross-sectionand which is sufiiciently stiff to ten ormore feet in length and provided at or toward each end with rings 5 and6, we tending below and above the bar, and which are preferablyprojections from aclamp 7 sleeved and tightly secured to the bar and ifdesirable, removable therefrom for convenience in packing and storagefor transportation.

To the ring 6 by direct attachment or by means of ordinary clips, as maybe for detachable purposes, are secured the oppol site ends of a cableor rope 7, to.the center of length of which is attached a swivel 9, the

extended, as shown inFig. 1, it forms, with the bar, a triangular frameor structure cable or rope7 being of such a length as when struction.combination, and arrangement of not to bend under the weight of theperformers and which in actual practice is from five and formanipulation by posite sides ofthe drum'and attached at theirrnonly-used joint and secured at their upper end there is sup orted onthe upper triangular sides of the convenient reach'of attendants formanipu- V lating the drum,.as

7; at about pyramidal frame formed-by iou'r diverging.-

adapted tobe suspended by means of a cable or rope 10, assing overpulleys 11 and 12, at considerab e distancea'part, and preferably adistance equally more than; one-half the length of the bar 4, so thatthe latter will be clear'of the cable, which extends? below the pulley12 to a pointinconvenientzreach of attendants standing on the floor orground a substantial distance below the upper pulleys. Instead offorming. the triangular" upper side of the frame by means of the cable 7said sides maybe formed of'ro'ds secured in. the rings 6 or directly tothe bar 4 byany com ends tothe swivel 9-by any clamping deviceordinarilyemployedor suitable for that PUT" pose. Swivel 9servesthelt'wofoldpurpose ofia convenient detachable connection between theframe and the suspending cable or volved about a vertical axis," and towhich ame a drum 13', rigidly and preferably clamped to its supportingsides by hooks 2121, providing means fer detachablsecurirzg theretomouthpie'ces 22 22', whic prefer ly' are of ormed and she may be grippe'by the teeth' of the performer in such a'manner as'tosuspend t'emselve's drawing,'and during theiperformancein mid- 1 air hereinafterdescribedand which for some time past has been publicly repeated severalhundred times, tie-hereinafter described."

In the" employment f the app aratusherein shown and described it is I ssuch a point that the performers" standing I on the ground or stage,asmay be; may in-. sertjin their mouths and between the teeth themouthpieces 22, the cable or rope .1 6 having before been given'theabout the drum- 13.

grip on the mouthpieces and; efore the: lifting of the structure,together with thebodies,

the rope with one any suitable means, preferably such as wi 1 permit itsdetachment therefrom for packing and shipping purposes. J

The drum l3, is provided with. an upper side flange 14 anda lowersid'eflange,15, be-. tween which thebody ofthe drumis sulh ciently long foranumber of turns about it of a cable or rope 16. secured at one end tothe drum and passing thence-to-and over a pulley 17', preferably locatedin approximately a horizontal line extending from the face of the drumand down to a point-within V W hereinafter described, andrevolving thebar orcircle 4 horizontally the swivel and the drum. s V a .7 Drum-+13is secured to cables,'- rods or "ropes 7 by chps orvother suitablefastenings,

'abeutesubstantially vertical: axis through (not shown,) which maybeand-preferably? remo'i'rably cbnnect' the drum thereWith and is alsopreferably-held against tipping or strainmg the fastenings by cords 18,secured at opopposite-ends to the-swivel 9 or to thecables departurefrom' ny inventionto have a rigid rods .or bars suspended from theswivel and having" cablei' {attached thereto ,asa supportfor the-drum--113'. 525T Attached-to each ofthe rings 5/ are fibrous; ropes; 191' 19,,and also sh'or ter ropes 2020, which msnewn wound aboutathe gb'areout, of use v andjout of the wayduring ll'thejern r0pes. 19./j 7Theseevices vare of twisted ropes or suspendm' g' I graduallypermittheir weight t6- be suspended entirely-from the mouthpieces',-and

before or when they hauemeachedj theexa to their sides. v V

ployed' and hasbe'en for some time there are three: acts, in the first'of'which the short ropes 20] 20 are en'rployed, the I performerspresenting themselves to .infafteinoon or evening costume, consisting oflong skirtsand broad' picture-hats, the

roundin s, and fansintheir hands. -They step tot e bar, hang their open'fans'thereon, and seemingly take hold or the hand portion withtheir-mouths, but as a-matter of fact they insert the v mouthpieces, asbefore -described, and afteribeing lifted to ,the' desired I point andhanging there motionless for some that po nt; butit would be n e.

time they simultaneously deliberately close their fans, dropthem below,''whei e they are caught by attendants and as deliberately pr'oceedf toremove" their hat-pins and after removing heir'hats put'thehat pinsbaclg in '{theirhats and drop them to the'attendants-ahd 8-: and attheir lower ends are permanently securedtosnapwhen they areloweredtofthe ground for a resting spell. The-cords in this'first eaten;

by the employment of the teeth, the muscles. o the jaw, and'the neck, asindicate'din the first lowered to minutes, in. mid-air W1 th their,hands dropped AS. he enemas s h publicly: ea.

he. audience dressed:

colors of. which-are in harmonywith' the surv desired number ot'coils HAfter etting a-good."

is commenced; the performers take hold of or both hands, "as may be, tosteady themselves and at the same time v arerev'olved about a circle,the skirts 's' read 0ut both=from the wands held-by the ends a and fromthe bo'dyinsuch a manner that fas 2o 'a-resting spellfor=--the.thirda'ot, and- 'f'or the tightsand' as soon as they are raised. to theirperformingv position the; cord] 16 ,is' then pulled fupon' until thegbodies of the v formers are" flying through 'the'airin a clrcle'f Iwith such; rapiditythat the cent .puts their-'bodies in-outward andmcedj-po -vers e turn of the 'b' dies. the torsion of the 1'opes'--is'sufficient td revolve their bodies sow the bar may be trench lengthvthat three .or more persons ma,

from as before escribed andrthat'Tthejbar may be bent to the form of theare-of acirclej' be desirable to, employ'jand;"suspend byx a,

' the short'cordslfor the reason that during'thej revolving bar and notassume n in'clined position, such as' wil'l follow from the em-v."ployinent'jas will be readily e cplainedj of thedressed in white orother color skirt ffancy a vertical.'axis,l substantially as descnbed.-the manner as before described and while 35; Ina device forthe purposedescribed, v

stationary and with their arms free 'goformed upon the'fstage, and afterthis has" been continued some time then'tlfe cord .16 1 isagairfypulledupon,and While their bodies: v in revolvethe bar,- horizontallya outavertical; 1

pear'a'n'ce' of enormous. butterflies oi fbifr s.

' simultaneously twist-their bodies=1unti11 the amng "described; inv

claim, and desire'Tto securbyLetters'l?atent,

revolution is desired that their bodies remain at a righ't angle-t0 andbehind the longerropeslQ.

In the second'act'theperformers come out costume and after being liftedor elevated in through: the skirt dance: vas ordinarily per theyswingabout thiscirclethey have the {a Afte r this butterfly act has beencontinued for some time the-performers are loweredfor purpose ofwhich-the longer ropes 19', .With' their mouth iecespare employed.,lnnthis thirdact t e performers 'are-i;dressed in sitionsubstantially-'- beyond the end of the bar 4,1andthenwhi-l'e' inposition they ropesiareso tightly; twisted that after "a re"- rapidlythat they 'arefhardly distinguishable as human 'bodies', although; asbefore stated, clothed intights. p

In conclusion: it should he observed that;

suspend themselves there or an entire 'circlegand anynumberofiper'sonsi' suspend themselves therefrom; aud t/hereby.

avoid f the otherwise necessity" of [the bar of: suchjan increasedlength-as to render. more or lessdifficult the perfect balancingoi"v thebodieslof-any number f'PersQn's it my,

sin le-overheadcableior'rope' t ntion'; that 4 1..- Ina device. for thepurpose herein {de scribed, :ahorizontal bar, means :forraisihg l thesame to considerable" elevation and low- '5. In lhorizonta'l bar, acable attached at opposite;

ends of; the bar and extending aboveithe same, a swivel 'secured to'said cable or rope al-forcev said bar, means for. raising, lowering andsus- Inivitness-where'of' I ering it there from, of depending suspensorydevices and'means for suspen'din the human 'body below'the same throught e actionv of 1 the. teethto ether 'with the ,"muscles of the j-awsiand'nec substantially a s'describ ed'.

-2. "I1\ a device for the horizontal bar,- devices purpose described, a.or raising, lower p and suspending the santiein rmd-airpani means. forrevolvingsaid bar horizontally on a horizontal bar,- "means. se-cured:directly 1 4 thereto and projecting (above the same,

I means for raising, lowering and suspending- Qsaidbar in mid-air, adru'mconnected there; e

With-and a cord-for actuatin saidlaxisysubs'tantially as described.

"' 4.111 axdevi'ce'forthe p posedescribeda horizontal bar, 'as'uspending devicetherefor converging to a pointabove the" centerv of.Ien'gththereOfQaswivel, and-a cable or rope visecured to said: swivelwhereby be raised and, lowered and revolvedlhorizone id b'ar may 3s.

'tally,about a vertical axis bisectin the cenwith its axis bisectingth'e'center of length ofpendingxsai'd bar in mid-a r, a drum mounted athe described; a '1 upon'saidfoa'ble or rope and means for actu- {atinsaid and. thereby revolving the bar.horizontlly'aibout-the verticalaxis, sub-- .gstantiallyas described. Y

6'.'-'I n'a .device'for the purpose described, a horizontalbar, meansfor ralsmglower ng and suspend ng said bar in m1d-a1r,1adrum, 0911-.

nectod withisaid' bar, means for'actuetingsaid drum and revolving thebar honzon Itajlly about a verticalfaxis, of suspending derooviees-attach'ed'at'or near the opposite ends'of said bars; and-dependingbelow the. same and meansvtherebyperformers may sus-{ p'dl th lvesbytheir mouth in mid- -'horizon'tally 'abput-aivertical axis, substam;

JOSEPH fwltnessesz' SJ STEWART;

AUG; a imus.

